29 April 2009

Spruce "Make Your Green Statement" Group photo of finished chairs!

"Make Your Green Statement" Marta's AFTER chair!


"Make Your Green Statement" Hope's AFTER chair!


Aspire!

"Make Your Green Statement" Christina's AFTER chair!


Atticus in cherry

"Make Your Green Statement" Tara's AFTER chair!





























"Make Your Green Statement" Cecelia's AFTER chair!































"Make Your Green Statement" Glenda's AFTER chair!
























"Make Your Green Statement" PROCESS PHOTOS













"Make Your Green Statement" revelation

I am a big fan of old skool Bon Ami (120 years old!) because it's a great green cleaning scrub that kicks dirt's ass without the off-gas.  (I think I have a new ad campaign for the company, dontcha think?) 

You should SEE what Bon Ami did to the rust and crud on the metal framed chairs!  That's right, it kicked rust's ass.  What a revelation!  Check out the before/after on Cecelia's chair. 

Thanks for the tip, Sprucettes.   

More BEFORE photos from the "Make Your Green Statement" class



Tools, beautiful tools.  

And fluffy organic cotton batting. 
 


Spruce "Make Your Green Statement" class was a HUGE success. BEFORE PHOTOS.

Last Saturday and Sunday, Spruce Austin held a "Make Your Green Statement" upholstery class where 6 students learned upholstery basics and walked out on Sunday afternoon with a Mod Green Pod covered chair.  

It was incredibly fun and so satisfying to watch the chairs go from grubby to green and gorgeous!  Below are the "before" photos of the students with their chairs.  From top to bottom:  Tara, Marta (who flew all the way from Washington D.C. for the class!), Hope, Glenda (well, her chair--for some reason, I don't have a "before" photo for her), Christina, and Cecelia.

HUGE thanks to Amanda, Lizzie and Kallie, a.k.a. "The Sprucettes"!

Next up, photos of the process. . . . 

















27 April 2009

Exciting week ahead!























Whew!  I have so many exciting things to blog about this week, I don't know where to begin!  Unfortunately, I have to begin with some Quality Time with my harddrive because it's maxing out on all the excitement.  

But stay tuned for some great projects from Ramonsterwear/Future Craft Collective and Urban Nest, as well as many many photos from the Spruce/Mod Green Pod upholstery class!  I can't wait to share all of these things, but I need to tend to my poor computer before it conks out. 

 

22 April 2009

new press: MGP on Huffington Post!

In their special column "Ten Great Green Design Products," Huffington Post bloggers and designers Sarah Shetter and Alison Palevsky listed Mod Green Pod's Glimmer and Bloom organic cotton fabrics as #3 on their list! 


MGP Giveaway at The Long Thread!

Scoot on over to thelongthread.com and enter to win a yard of Mod Green Pod fabric and a tote!  And while you are there, bookmark this awesome blog and check back frequently to fill your creative soul with Ellen's collection of gorgeous ideas.  The site is also an amazing resource for the latest and greatest craft projects in the blogosphere.  

  

Happy Earth Day!

Mod Green Pod is spending much of the day working on our commitment to organic cotton.   Val and I are preparing a CEU (Continuing Education Unit) to present to interior designers on Friday and will have our heads back in the books researching organic vs. conventional cotton.  The information we have gathered has been shocking (even to us--and we're in the biz!) so we have decided to ramp up our mission to educate consumers and companies about the importance of organic cotton.  Check back for updates or email us if you have any ideas or resources for our Big Project. 

HAPPY EARTH DAY!  

21 April 2009

new press: Apartment Therapy San Fran

We LOVE Apartment Therapy's mix of high design and DIY inspiration, so we were excited to spot our recent MGP DIY drawstring bag project on their San Fran edition

new press: Texas Monthly blog

Kristie Ramirez, of Texas Monthly, blogged about MGP today in her fun style column, "Closet Case."  Thanks, Kristie!  

Tips on finding an upholsterer

Reupholstering old furniture is making a big comeback and I'm betting it's here to stay.  In addition to the re-use factor, there is something so appealing about combining contemporary fabric with an old piece to make a one-of-a-kind statement.  

But it seems like people in my generation remember our parents and grandparents having things reupholstered (I certainly remember that!) but we are not as familiar with the process ourselves.  At MGP, we are frequently asked "How do I find an upholsterer in my area?" So I thought I'd provide a few ideas for those of you who are wanting to cover a found/salvaged/family chair or sofa:























1. Order swatches for the piece you want to cover--fall in love with one and go for it!

2. Ask friends and neighbors about upholsterer recommendations.  If you have a neighborhood listserve, post the question and I'll guarantee you'll have many enthusiastic answers (I see this question make the rounds quite often on my neighborhood's yahoogroup).

3. If #2 doesn't yield results, try a citysearch-type search or just google your city's name and "upholsterer."  I've done this for many customers and have found some pretty amazing resources in different cities.  

4. If you can't narrow it down, call up or visit a few upholsterers and just see who you feel comfortable working with.  The upholsterer can give you an estimate for the work and he or she will let you know how much yardage you will need to order.  

5. Once you have decided on your upholsterer, you can call us to order your fabric or you can order online at any time.    

6. You can always email us at info@modgreenpod.com or call 512.524.5196 and we'll be happy to assist you in your search!  And of course, we want to see photos of the befores and afters!

If you are new to the MGP blog, these might help:

*My blog posts about searching for the perfect old chair through the final, reupholstered piece in all its green glory are here;
*Val's grandmother's chair gets a green makeover here;
*MGP sofa on design*sponge "Before & After" at d*s.

20 April 2009

Do you love your upholsterer?

Please email us at info@modgreenpod.com to give us recommendations for upholsterers in your area.   Or if you are an upholsterer, send us your contact info.  

Thanks!

18 April 2009

new press: Washington Post Magazine

It's been a great week for press!  We're also in this weekend's Washington Post Magazine, in a really fantastic piece by Alexa Yablonski about the latest in green home decor.  The article includes our newest organic cotton prints (Aspire, Bloom and Glimmer) as well as some new products that I'm excited to learn about.

























(Big ups to MAC for spotting it!)


new press: Crafting a Green World

Yesterday, I was so thrilled to see that one of Mod Green Pod's favorite people, Jackie Hernandez, had written about us in one of our favorite blogs, Crafting a Green World!  THANK YOU!  

New press: Natural Homes magazine

We're thrilled and honored to be included in Natural Home magazine's 10th anniversary issue, in an article called "Best for Remodeling and Redecorating."

The magazine is loaded with great ideas and ispiration, so I highly recommend picking one up at the newsstand.